Introducing Pokemon Championship Points

In a stunning, but apparently not unexpected move, Pokemon USA has announced a new points/rating system similar to the one that Wizards of the Coast announced a couple weeks ago, called Planeswalker Points, which replaced Magic the Gathering’s ELO rating system. In this case, Pokemon USA will utilize the new points system, titled Championship Points, to supplement their ELO rating system, which will be used to break any ties, if necessary.

Here is everything you need to know, Trainers and Professors alike, about the new Pokemon Championship Points system, from Pokemon.com:

Championship Points are a new way to recognize the top players from Pokémon Championship Series events. Championship Points are awarded to players based upon their finish position at individual events. Check out the Pokémon TCG Championship Points Structure for more information.

What Can I Do With the Championship Points I’ve Earned?
Championship Points are used to gain entry into high level events, including the 2012 Pokémon World Championships. Event qualifications are listed in each event-specific FAQ as they are posted.

What Happens to My Elo Rating Now that Championship Points Are Used for Event Qualification?
Elo ratings will still be maintained on Pokemon.com, and they may be used to break ties in Championship Points, if necessary. The Elo rankings search will still be available for players to see how they stack up against players worldwide.

What are “Best Finish Limits”?
To provide a more-even playing field for the largest number of competitors worldwide, we have instituted Best Finish Limits. This means that during an event series, only your Best X (defined below) finishes will count towards your final Championship Points total.

For example, the Best Finish Limit for Battle Roads is 8. If a player participates in 6 Battle Road Autumn events and 5 Battle Road Spring events, only the top 8 of the player’s 11 Battle Roads finishes will count toward his or her final Championship Points total.

Is There a Limit to How Many Events I Can Play In Per Year?
No. You can play in as many Battle Road, City Championship, S/P/T Championship and Regional Championships as you wish each year!

Will Video Game Events award Championship Points?
In the 2011-2012 season, Video Game events will award Championship Points, but these points will not be used to qualify players for events. As the Video Game Championship Series expands in the future, Video Game players can expect to see qualifications similar to those being used for TCG events.

Can I Use the Championship Points I Earned at a Video Game Event to Enter a TCG Event?
No. TCG Championship Points and VG Championship Points are considered separate, and cannot be used across event types. Players cannot use Championship Points earned at the Video Game Regional Championships to gain entry to the TCG World Championships.

Championship Points Structure

Championship Points are awarded to players based upon their finish position at Play! Pokémon Championship Series events.

Kickers

Championship Point payouts are listed below. Events will receive “Kicker” points if an age division attendance meets a certain threshold. Base points never change but, if the “Kicker” level is reached, points are awarded deeper into the final standings. For example, if the Masters division at a Battle Road tournament reaches 32 players, 3rd and 4th place will receive 1 Championship Point.

Best Finish Limits

Each event series also has a Best Finish Limit, where a player’s Best X Finishes are counted into that limit. For example, the Best Finish Limit for Battle Roads is 8. If a player participates in 6 Battle Road Autumn events and 5 Battle Road Spring events, only that player’s best 8 finishes from the 11 Battle Roads they attended will count towards their final Championship Points total.